Reports indicate that USAID employees have been ordered to stay away from their Washington headquarters after an announcement shared online gave them just 30 days to return home. This decision follows a broad freeze on foreign aid enacted by President Trump at the start of his administration, which had already resulted in job losses and halted programs across the globe. The developments have raised concerns about the agency's future and its ability to fulfill its 60-year mission.
USAID was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and has been playing a crucial role in distributing billions in foreign aid as it operates with a budget of nearly $40 billion. However, the U.S. administration, led by President Trump, has announced plans to merge the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the State Department. Democratic lawmakers and critics at large have condemned the merger as "illegal" and "unconstitutional," arguing it could jeopardize aid to vulnerable populations and decrease U.S. influence internationally.
Elon Musk has since declared that the USAID should “die” amid reports that two top security officials at the aid agency were put on leave for refusing his representatives access to classified materials. Over the weekend Elon Musk's newly formed Department of Government Efficiency took USAID's website offline emphasizing on the total dismantling of the agency. Although the website has since returned, it now features a stark notice regarding staff recalls and terminations.
A platform dedicated to financial education, Money Academy Ke, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to point up that thousands of healthcare workers have lost their jobs following President Trump's freeze on foreign aid. This drastic measure, implemented under the PEPFAR program, has resulted in the termination of over 35,000 positions, including nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, community health workers, and doctors. One midwife told the BBC that all medical centers funded by USAID had closed and dozens of workers had told to stay at home.
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